Lotto 6/49
Lotto 6/49 gives you the chance to win a jackpot of $5 million in every draw, while there’s also an opportunity to win up to $60 million in the associated Gold Ball Jackpot. The latest winning numbers are announced every Wednesday and Saturday. Read on to find out everything you need to know about how to play and the prizes you can win.
How to Play Lotto 6/49
It's really easy to play Lotto 6/49. You can play online or at a Loto-Quebec retailer. You just need to select six numbers from 1 to 49 to take part. Either choose your own or opt for a Quick Play if you want a random selection picked for you at the point of purchase.
Select how many draws to enter and pay for your tickets. As well as your numbers for the Classic Draw, you will be given a ten-digit code for the Gold Ball Jackpot. Here's a rundown of some more facts you need to know:
- It costs $3 per play
- The cut-off time for tickets is 10:30 PM Eastern Time
- You can enter up to 99 draws in advance
- You don’t pick your code for the Gold Ball Jackpot – it is generated at random
There are various other options when you play Lotto 6/49. The Extra option is available, while you can opt to 'Replay' a selection again. This saves time on filling out another playslip if you have a particular set of favourite numbers. A ticket can only be replayed within 60 days of the date of the draw it was originally valid for. Group play is also available and represents a great way of boosting your chances of winning, as you can more easily afford to purchase more entries.
If you enjoy playing several lotteries, there are some quick ways to enter games simultaneously. Choose 'Double Jeu' to enter Lotto 6/49 and Quebec 49 at the same time, 'Forfait Lottos' to add Lotto Max and Quebec Max to those two, and 'Super Forfait' to include Grande Vie in a set of all five games.
Classic Draw Prizes and Odds
Since September 2022, the main draw has been known as the Classic Draw. You win prizes by matching at least two of your selected numbers to the winning numbers drawn.Match all six to win the jackpot, which is always fixed at $5 million in every draw.
A Bonus Ball is also selected in each draw - from the remaining 43 numbers that are left after the main six have been drawn. This creates additional prize categories. Take a look at the table below to see all the different ways to win, the odds for each category and how the prize fund is distributed.
| Category | Odds of Winning | Percentage of Prize Fund |
|---|---|---|
| Match 6 | 1 in 13,983,816 | $5 Million |
| Match 5 + Bonus | 1 in 2,330,636 | 32.15% |
| Match 5 | 1 in 55,492 | 13.5% |
| Match 4 | 1 in 1,033 | 54.35% |
| Match 3 | 1 in 56.7 | Fixed $10 |
| Match 2 + Bonus | 1 in 81.2 | Fixed $5 |
| Match 2 | 1 in 8.3 | Free Play |
| Overall odds of winning a prize are 1 in 6.6 | ||
Gold Ball Jackpot
As well as the Classic Draw, one player is guaranteed to win at least $1 million. A 10-digit code is selected at random, and the lucky player with the matching ticket is entered into the draw for the Gold Ball Jackpot.
In the Gold Ball draw, there is a jackpot that starts at $10 million and increases by $2 million every time it is not won. It can even go higher than $60 million. The odds of the Gold Ball being drawn improve with every draw until it is won. If the Gold Ball is not drawn, the winner receives $1 million.
The Quebec 49 draw works in a similar way to Lotto 6/49 but is a separate game in which you can win up to $2 million.